The Bangladesh Railway (BR) has finally resumed its move to enhance the capacity of Dhaka-Chattogram railway corridor after getting a green signal from the new government with funding assurance from a development partner in the project involving more than Tk330 billion.
Officials said the project's preliminary development project proposal (PDPP) approved nearly a decade ago was important for gauge unification of 323 kilometre corridor as its capacity is now limited for metre gauge train operation with single line double track.
If the project was implemented in time as planned by 2023, both the passenger and freight capacity would have increased significantly by reducing mileage over 100 km and two hour of travel time between the capital Dhaka and Chattogram Port.
However, the project could not precede much due to inability to manage several hundred billion taka implementation cost and afterwards the interim government's total inactive role in approving new project, said an insider.
"There was also lack of foresightedness of the past government and BR high officials as the initiative was not taken simultaneously at the time of implementing the second line of metre gauge track,' said one insider.
A BR official said the fresh move has been taken to formulate DPP now as the ADB mission, which visited the country in February, has assured of funding one part of the long corridor from Laksham to Chattogram.
He said the ADB wants to fund another part in the second phase but the BR has requested to fund both part at a time to overcome the time lapse due to multiple importance of the corridor in regional connectivity.
The BR included the Dhaka-Chattogram railway corridor to convert dual gauge double line in its master plan targeting to ready gauge unification by 2025. As dual gauge has already been built from Dhaka to Tongi, the related project was designed to convert Tongi-Bhairab Bazar-Akhaura MG track into double track in one project and from Laksam to Chattogram in another project.
However, second part has now been included the missing link of the corridor of Chinki Astana which would reduce the mileage between the two cities by 131 km.
Cost of the projects was estimated to convert 97.01 km Tongi-Bhairab Bazar-Akhaura MG track was Tk 145.87 billion while Akhaura-Chinki Astana-Chattogram Tk 187.22 billion.
After converting the entire corridor, officials said, travel time would be reduced 34 per cent and current capacity of 52 train pairs operation per day increased to 65 train pairs.
Considering all aspect, the BR plans to start both sides at a time and wants funding assurance from the development partner or partners, said an official in the BR's planning section.
The ADB has funded the Cox's Bazar-Dohazari rail track development project and Dohazari-Chattogram rail track development work is also being carried with its fund now.
Both the track is the extended part of the Dhaka-Chattogram corridor establishing connectivity with missing link of Chittagon Hill track area. The entire corridor is also part of regional connectivity with India and Mynmar.
smunima@yahoo.com